New Disease-Modeling Method: SMA in Mice (VIDEO) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory This video is under embargo. Please login to access this video. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Caption Scientists have developed a new way of making animal models for human genetic diseases with pathology caused by errors in the splicing of RNA messages bearing protein-encoding instructions from genes. In this movie, mice modeling the devastating human motor-neuron illness spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are shown with two healthy mice. The SMA mice are at an advanced stage of the illness; their mobility is severely impaired. Severe cases of the disease in humans can be lethal in the first years of life. The new modeling method provides a unique window on disease progression and a platform for the testing of novel therapeutics. Credit Adrian Krainer, Ph.D., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.